The Challenge of Ageing Trees
Some tree-reading scribblings from a natural navigation challenge in the New Forest, Hampshire, last year… Life, Death and the Challenge of Ageing Trees Gales that…
Tag: moss
Is this a Sunrise or a Sunset?
Is this a sunrise or sunset? And Why? Spoiler alert… answer below… Moss on the roof suggests that is more likely the north side of…
Choose Lichens Over Mosses for Effective Navigation
Mosses get all the press, but lichens are the stars when it comes to effective natural navigation. In the video above I look at the…
Which Way Are We Looking? Ivy Edition
Which direction are we looking in the image above? Answer: We are looking… West. The five best clues are: The ivy stem has grown away…
Which Way Are We Looking? Budleigh Salteron Edition
My thanks to everyone who joined me for my talk on The Secret World of Weather at the Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival on Friday. It…
Nature’s Clues and Signs 1 – East Marden
Welcome Welcome to the first in a new nature’s clues and signs series. Over the coming months I will be heading out on a series…
What do these pictures have in common?
I’m back from a short natural navigation exercise. It didn’t go to plan, but that is always part of the plan. I’d hate to stop…
Reading Ice Patterns and Compasses
Here is a selection of images from a recent dawn exploration of my local hills. I’ve explained how to read these patterns and signs in…
The Meaning of Missing Moss
Moss is important in natural navigation, but not the quick easy method that many seem to think. I’ve written about the challenge of using moss…
The Many Faces of Chichester Cross
Chichester Cross is a market cross – the building that symbolises the heart of the market square in my nearest town of Chichester, West Sussex.…
Which Way Are We Looking?
I took the dogs into the woods for their walk this morning. Whilst trying a shortcut through some understory trees and undergrowth, something gave me…
How to Find Direction Using Tree Bark
The wind, rain and sun do not affect all sides of trees equally. This creates patterns on the trees’ bark that we can use to…
Evolving Views
With bumps on the road, hopefully each year we grow more enlightened in our view of nature and our relationship with it. But there is…
Reindeer Lichen and Wild Feelings
I live in the chalk hills of the South Downs. On my daily walks over these hills I am always greeted by familiar alkaline-loving flora.…
The Truth About Moss
Moss is probably the best known natural navigation indicator in the world. It is also excellent at demonstrating how easy it is to go wrong…
Usnea Lichens and Moss Patterns
Just back from a family camper-vanning trip to the New Forest and Dartmoor. In Dartmoor I returned to an old favourite, Wistman’s Wood, where the…
Moisture and Moss
Moss means moisture, which can sometimes help with direction. The moss on this tree is growing on the north side, but it takes a surprising…
Using Lichens to Navigate
This is a photo of the top of a historical stone post, known as a ‘staddle stone‘. Staddle stones were used to build barns off…
Moss on the North Side of Trees
No single piece of natural navigation is better known than ‘moss grows on the north side of trees’. It therefore sometimes surprises people when I…
Frost Shadows and Compasses
It is that time of year when nature likes to get out her frost compasses for us to admire. I took this photo last Friday…